Beshears’ chief of staff visits Somerset, discusses issues

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July 7, 2009

By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus The Commonwealth Journal Tue Jul 07, 2009, 09:51 PM EDT

Somerset — Gov. Steve Beshear’s chief of staff drew several rounds of applause when he promised the state would not solve the budget crisis by taking it off the backs of those who can least afford it.

Adam Edelen, speaking Tuesday to a large crowd at the July membership meeting of the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, said state government is struggling with a nearly $2 billion budget shortfall. Never in history, he said, has the state faced such deficits in three successive budget cycles.

In spite of this, Edelen said Beshear has committed to continue education reform, streamline the process by which 67,500 uninsured children can get health insurance, leave untouched the Medicaid program and enhance public safety.

Edelen said education reform has improved the state’s national ranking from 49th to 32nd. The Kentucky General Assembly in1990 passed the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) in response to a ruling the previous year by the Kentucky Supreme Court that the commonwealth's education system was unconstitutional. The court mandated that the Legislature was to enact broad and sweeping reforms at a systemic level, statewide.

“It’s a national model,” commented Edelen. He said the Beshear’s administration firmly believes in educational reform and “ ... it’s a path we will continue.” The statement triggered a round of applause.

“We’ve made a commitment to education. Every child is expected to learn and learn at a high level,” said Edelen. “You get out of children what you expect from them.”

Noting the number of people “ ... who have fallen off the economic ladder,” Edelen said “ ... we haven’t touched Medicaid.” He revealed that between 2,000 and 3,000 Kentuckians are joining the program each month. Medicaid is a federal-state program for Kentuckians who can’t afford medical care.

Edelen said the Beshear administration “ ... does not intend to retreat on public safety. That’s why we haven’t balanced the budget (at the expense) of public safety,” he remarked.

Concerning Medicaid and health insurance for children, Edelen said “We are our brother’s keeper. It’s expensive, but the right thing to do for people who have fallen off the economic ladder. Every child in Kentucky deserves health care.”

He said the Beshear administration is operating with 3,000 fewer employees than the previous administration; smallest since the (John Y.) Brown administration. “Government must be the last line for people who need it,” he said.

Edelen lauded the local chamber of commerce and expressed amazement at the crowd attending the monthly membership meeting.

“You can’t move a community forward without a robust chamber of commerce,” said Edelen. “There’s only one or two chambers in the state that can produce 250 people during a July afternoon,” he remarked, looking at The Center convention hall with every seat filled.

“There is power in the people,” he declared. “A group of people this dedicated can certainly have an impact.”

Despite the state’s financial woes, Edelen says he is optimistic.

“I’m optimistic when history is written, it will say we did the best we could do. With great challenge comes great opportunity.”

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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